


Drabbles of December

by TheEndofEternity



Category: Robot Series - Isaac Asimov
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-07 14:23:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16855633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEndofEternity/pseuds/TheEndofEternity
Summary: Part of a collection of drabbles for the whole month of December





	1. Alone

**Author's Note:**

> Part of a collection of drabbles for the whole month of December

Nothing remained but silence, although one could imagine the steadily intensifying creak of a geiger counter as the surrounding area started to slowly irradiate. 

It was not this that caused Daneel distress, however, but the mounting tension that arose from witnessing the loss of human life. A foreboding dusk that seemed to form over his entire being, shackling his limbs together and pulling him to the ground. 

And then, another conflict. The fact that this should not be so. No human life has been lost. No human has been harmed. But Daneel found that his mind began to reject this fact, and in this rejecting the differences, so stark, between Giskard, R. Giskard, and a human being. 

After a couple of hours, he regained his bearings, short of a sort of white noise that was near-overwhelming. 

Giskard! With hope, he searched through this sensation to see if he could feel some sliver of Giskard's metallic aura, but all he felt was the steady pulse of the two humans that lie before him in comfortable slumber, and a somewhat distant sensation from a distance. Madam Quintana was still waiting, and he had to confront her, Giskard's dead body within his hands.

Dead? It had not been long ago that Daneel would protest the usage of this word to describe a robot, but no longer. 

Giskard was dead, and Daneel was alone.


	2. Tradition

“Daneel, could you come over?”

The humaniform moved from his wall niche and walked into the office of Dr. Han Fastolfe, his creator. Fastolfe gave a simple gesture with his hand, signalling for Daneel to sit down. Hesitating, he took a seat in front of the roboticist’s desk.

“What is it you need, Dr. Fastolfe?”

The older man smirked. “Not a need in sight, Daneel. No, this isn’t a request. It’s an invitation.”

Daneel cocked his head. “To what, Dr. Fastolfe?”

The man sighed, placing his hands around the back of his head. “Well, I’m not usually one to celebrate Earth holidays. Or holidays, for that matter. But I know it’s what,” he paused, appearing pensive, “I know it’s what Roj would have wanted.” 

They both sat in silence for a couple seconds, Daneel being given no signal to speak. 

“I would like to have a Christmas party, Daneel. And I want you to be part of it. It seems a bit wrong to have you standing in the wall niche through the whole ordeal. Seems a bit out of... spirit.”

Now Daneel spoke. “Spirit, Dr. Fastolfe?”

He chuckled. “I don’t know, Daneel. It’s just a feeling. You can mingle with some of my close cohorts I’ve worked with in research. They’d be thrilled to get to know you. But you may do whatever you wish.” 

“Pardon me, Dr. Fastolfe?”

His head perked back up from his reverie. “Yes, Daneel?”

“Are there any particular traditions or associations with this holiday that I should know of?”

Dr. Fastolfe sat for a moment, thinking. “Hmmm. Well, for one, you are supposed to prepare gifts. Gifts and food and... community, I supposed.”

Daneel nodded his head. “I understand. Thank you, Dr. Fastolfe.”

“No problem at all. I hope you enjoy this. I hope I do, for that matter.”

Daneel quickly interjected. “However, Dr. Fastolfe, you mentioned that I may do anything I wish for this occasion. Might I make a request?”

Fastolfe looked the robot in the eye. “Go right ahead.”

“I would like to make a gift for Partner Elijah. Might a delivery be arranged?” 

For a moment, it seemed that Dr. Fastolfe was shocked. However, he knew of the closeness of their association and figured that he should no longer be surprised by such requests. 

“Absolutely, Daneel. Just let me know when.”

Although usually subtle, Daneel now appeared quite clearly to smile.


End file.
